Pheromonal Control of the Burmese Python

Tom Mathies

USDA/APHIS/Wildlife ServicesNational Wildlife Research Center

Overview

• Advantages and Disadvantages

• Potential Pheromone-based Approaches

• Example: Pheromone Trail -

Trap Technology Development with Go / No-Go Gates

• NWRC Capabilities: Development and Testing

Advantages -

DisadvantagesAdvantages Disadvantages

Species-specific - non-targets unlikely

Likely effective only during breeding season

Environmentally harmless chemicals

Likely effective only on adult males

No live animals or dead (animals or baits) used

Probably more labor-intensive to set up and maintain than food- baited trap

Trap design probably less difficult and costly to develop than food- baited trap; manufacture less costly

Overall technology more costly to develop than for food-based trap

Varied approaches - some possible on large (Park-wide) spatial scale

Potential Pheromone-based Approaches

• Trail -

Trap

• Mating Disruption: False Trail Following & Male Confusion

• Male Consolidation –

Search & Remove

Pheromone Trail to Trap

100 m

Pheromone Trail to Trap

Pheromone Trail to Trap

Male Consolidation -

Removal

♀Mating Disruption: False Trail

Following

Mating Disruption: Male Confusion♀

Example –

Trail to Trap Development

Example –

Trail to Trap Development

USDA/ NWRC Capabilities

• Brown Treesnake Pheromone Research

• NWRC Chemistry Program

• Python Research –

Potential of NWRC Gainesville Field Station

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200To

tal T

ongu

e-fli

ck T

ime

(s)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

TTReproductive Female

Nonreproductive FemaleMaleFPSFPNS

Brown Treesnake Sex Pheromone

1

2

3

4

5

Follic

le L

engt

h (c

m)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Week

9

9 99 9 8 2 1 1

3 4

7

7

98

87 6

0.25 0.14 0.02 0.02 0.0002

0.0001 0.02 0.006 0.0008

NWRC Chemistry Project

Project Leader

Supervisory Chemist QA/QC

SpecialistResearch Chemist

Research Chemist

Research Chemist Chemist Research

Molecular Biologist

Chemist Physical Science Tech

Physical Science Tech Physical

Science Tech Chemist

Pharmacologist

Chemist PhysicalScience Technician

ANALYTICALSERVICES

UNIT

QA/QCUNIT

FORMULATIONCHEMISTRY

UNIT

EXPLORATORYCHEMISTRY

UNIT

ANALYTICALMETHODS

DEVELOPMENTUNIT

METABOLISM/ENVIRONMENTAL

FATE UNIT

MOLEC.BIOLOGYWILDLIFEGENETICS

UNIT

Characterize PheromoneSynthesize Pheromone

NWRC Chemistry Project

10.0011.0012.0013.0014.0015.0016.0017.0018.0019.0020.0021.0022.0023.0024.00

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

350000

400000

450000

500000

550000

600000

650000

700000

750000

800000

850000

900000

950000

1000000

1050000

1100000

1150000

1200000

1250000

1300000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: VUL69-20.D

12.21

13.86

14.45 14.61 15.95

17.00

18.47 18.62

18.98

19.07

19.23

19.29

19.50 19.58

19.68

20.11 20.24

20.53

20.59

20.71

20.87

21.17 21.33

21.40 21.49

21.55

NWRC Gainesville Station

• Breeding colony, Everglades origin; 7 males, 3 females

• Animal care staff• Laboratory space• Large outdoor aviaries for conducting tests (e.g.,

pheromone trailing)